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Got Your Back

Last weekend I got my mustang fix at “The Wild Horse Sanctuary” in between Shingletown and Manton California. Boy are these mustangs lucky. Instead of being stuck in some BLM long term holding pens or worse yet on someone’s dinner plate, they get to live their life out protected in the lovely Northern California foothills. It is spring and the the first baby of the year is here! For purposes of this blog I’m going to call this little filly “Smokey” Ain’t she a doll? Here she is looking back at me while hanging tight next to mom. She does not fear me because she has a mom and dad and her whole band to watch her back.

Mom very bravely standing still so Smokey can nurse. She has one ear listening to me and the other ear listening to whatever goes on beside her.

Mom and Smokey have others in the band watching both their backs.

And their fronts.

Daddy can be seen in the back ground of the two last pictures, can you find him? Might be hard to do since some of these mares are quite large and round. More babies coming. Daddy’s job is to protect the whole band so he has to keep an eye on me who keeps pointing the big black thing at him.

Here he is. Is he a manly stud or what? I think Smokey is going to have his dad’s color as a Blue Roan but he could turn out to be a Grullo too. Grullo is a color of horses in the dun family, that have tan-gray or mouse-colored hairs on the body, often with shoulder and dorsal stripes and black barring on the lower legs. Smokey’s dad has other “wives” too. Don’t these two make a handsome pair.

After nursing for awhile Smokey tries to sleep much to the dismay of Prince the sanctuary dog in charge. Prince does not seem to understand Smokey does not want to play now and needs to have napping time.

Gosh darn it, I guess I need to wake up says Smokey.

OK now I am REALLY awake.

Got to get back to mom. Got milk?

Yes thank goodness she does.

Smokey is happy happy with the band. So many “Aunts” to stay close to when mom goes away.

Gotta itch. Guess who is watching over me.

Time for another nap and guess who is watching Smokey’s back? Just about everybody has Smokey surrounded but look at Dad. He is very sneaky watching me trying to act like he is just eating.

Like newborn human babies baby horses do the same, sleep, eat, sleep eat, sleep, eat…..except they can stand, walk and run on day one!

There is dad again watching Smokey’s back making sure I’m not a predator, about to pounce on her.

Dad nudges Smokey telling her it is time to move on now.

He grabs a bit to eat before they all go AWAY FROM ME.

They decide to take a turn to the right. This is the way to the creek for a drink.

It is hard to take my eyes off Dad. He is so handsome and such a fine father figure. You don’t get to see natural wild horse behavior like this every day.

Dad keeps his eyes on me and waits patiently for the rest of the band.

His mares are taking their time. He continues to wait patiently so the band will stay together.

Finally I decide to say good bye to dad. I feel I have put enough pressure on him.